Cordwainer Smith is one of the most unique and original authors to ever write science fiction, and is definitely among my favorites. These stories are the best of Cordwainer Smith, though he also wrote Nostrilia, a good book that nevertheless pales in comparison to the selections in The Rediscovery of Man. What I like about Smith is that he has a sense of the epic in science fiction, while still maintaining the focus of his writing: humans and near-humans (the underpeople). Many of his stories deal with love, something to be admired in a genre that often ignores this important concept. Especially in "The Ballad of Lost C'Mell", "Alpha Ralpha Boulevard", "The Burning of the Brain", and "Three to a Given Star", Smith shows his competency in this area, giving often heart-wrenching accounts of the survival of love in this far flung future. Other key stories include "The Crime and Glory of Commander Suzdal", the horrifying "A Planet Named Shayol", and "The Dead Lady of Clown Town". Such stories show an incredible depth of imagination, though Smith never loses touch with his characters, imbuing them real emotion and intelligence. If I had one complaint it would be that Smith sometimes lets his imagination run wild, creating a story that is a little too abstract. This is shown in "Under Old Earth", the only story I had trouble finishing. This, however, is a minor grievance, and the pure brilliance of the other stories occludes this one misstep. Give yourself a chance to appreciate this often overlooked genius.

Cordwainer Smith began publishing science fiction in the fifties when Amazing Stories and other science fiction fanzines primarily flew rockets to outer space and beyond. Smith, however, took the common themes of pulp science fiction and made them into something alien and new. Ships did travel through space, but they were hunted by beings of pure malevolence, and saved by cats chasing imaginary mice. People themselves become alien adjusting their physiology to fit worlds that otherwise could not support life. Animals and robots become more than human by acting with intelligence, compassion, and love often exceeding that of their masters.

Smith's stories are not hard science; they read more like fairy tales or myths. However, The Rediscovery of Man is the myths of mankind's future, myths showing the potential for both dreams and nightmares to come true. These are stories for children thousands of years hence, and for adults today. Just like myths and fairy tales, Smith's stories have great truths in them that are often hidden by an entertaining story.

This collection is a fascinating glimpse into the human mentality. Individually, a few of these stories stand out as his best writing, but the collection as a whole is a beautiful work that leads you through one of the most imaginative minds in science fiction.

I first encountered Cordwainer Smith when I was in grade school, checking every book out of the library that I could find under Science Fiction. Some of my favorite stories were the often-anthologized "Game of Rat and Dragon" and "Scanners Live in Vain." I began seeking out his stories anywhere I could find them, but aside from the wonderful novel Norstrilia, I could find few more.

How exciting that the NESFA Press has brought all of these stories together in one book. It was such a joy rediscovering old favorites, and also finding real gems (such as "The Dead Lady of Clown Town") I had never seen anywhere before.

This volume is a must-have for anyone who cares about classic science fiction short stories. In it are some of the best examples of the genre. A short list of the stories in this volume that you MUST read would include: "Alpha Ralpha Boulevard", "The Game of Rat and Dragon", "A Planet Called Shayol", "Mother Hitton's Littul Kittons", and the aforementioned "Dead Lady of Clown Town."

The title of one of Smith's collections that originally contained many of these stories was You Will Never Be the Same. What a great title, and how accurate. You won't be.

I have long been a John Wooden and UCLA fan. Growing up in N.C., everyone was expected to be a UNC or NC State fan. I was neither.

I have owned "They Call Me Coach" for many years, and recently purchased Coach's "Lifetime Observations". While most of the information is similar to "They Call Me Coach", this book reinforces the solid principles and values upon which Coach Wooden has built his life. It contains fewer stories about basketball, and more about life, values and worthwhile achievement. It is another opportunity to gain insight into how this man has accomplished such great success as a person, not just as a coach. For the reader, it is also an opportunity for for self-examination.

Thanks to Coach Wooden and Steve Jamison for offering to those of us who cherish the Coach's contributions to life another chance to absorb the teaching of a lifetime.

Listen to anyone who speaks about him, or read anything that anyone writes about him, and you will instantly know that John Wooden is truly a national treasure. This book of Wooden's wisdom and life philosophies is definitely on my short list of the best books of all time about character and leadership.

This book is a collection of the simple and direct beliefs and observations of John Wooden, arguably the best (college) basketball coach of all time. Interestingly, very little of what Wooden wants to teach is about basketball. His quick stories, short vignettes, and detailed memories focus on life and relationships with others.

Coach Wooden is a gentle man with the courage and discipline to live his life according to his deepest held ideals, values, and principles. Despite his teams' unbelievable success (10 NCAA national basketball championships in 12 years (including 7 in a row!), 88 consecutive victories, and 38 straight NCAA tournament victories), and his own fame (many coach-of-the-year honors, "Sports Illustrated's" sportsman of the year, a lifetime winning percentage of over 80%, and the first man to be elected to college basketball's hall of fame as both a player (3-time All-American at Purdue) and coach), he resisted the public pressures and temptations to stay true to himself and his beliefs.

Coach Wooden defines success as the "peace of mind that is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming." The book finishes with 30 pages devoted to Wooden's legendary "Pyramid of Success" and another 5 pages of his favorite sayings - 35 priceless pages in a priceless book.

At a time when America is re-defining and searching for true heroes to lead us forward from our darkest days, this book is a beacon of hope and guidance and should serve as a blueprint for making heroes of us all.

John Wooden had one of the most successful basketball careers as both a player in coach. He also had a strong family life with his parents, wife and kids. In this book, you'll read all his secrets to success that makes him a truly special person of strong moral values and organizational skills. He surely was a great influence on almost everyone he associated with.

There's nothing here about basketball strategy. The book is broken up into 1-4 paragraph anecdotes about subjects relating to family values, organization, and success.

His basic philosophy in winning was not which team scored the most, but whether or not his team played to their maximum ability. He also has some interesting stories about Bill Walton and Kareem Abdul Jabbar.

The best part of the book, in my opinion, is where he outlines his pyramid of success. The pyramid is a step-by-step, building block of characteristics you must master which lead you to maximizing your potential and perform at the highest level possible, whether it's sports, business, or family. A must read.

When I first picked up this book I was skeptical, but I had extra money on hand and got it for the heck. Well, I had the same skeptism with Animorphs but the same thing happened - I love these books. The stories and plots are well thought out, and when you finally set it down you want to read it some more. The characters (Score, Pixel, Helaine and co.) are enchanting, but I would like a little more character depth, which has been happening in the Animorphs series and which I read in other such books. Overall I highly reccamend this for those who want to have a good time and get out of this dull world. Find the magic

This is a fantasy you will never forget. The pages are covered with superior remembrance. The book is so wonderful, you won't put it down till the last page is read. This book has changed my life because it has taught me to never give up and keep trying. Like when Score, Pixel and Renald, (the main characters), were stuck in a jail cell and kept on trying to get out. They couldn't figure out a way, but they kept on trying. They tried climbing out the window, but it was too small and too high. They tried to melt the lock by combining their powers but they found out their powers weren't strong enough, yet, to melt the lock. So they took some hay and stuffed it into the keyhole. And by combining their powers again, they could catch the hay on fire and that melted the lock. The biggest reason I think this book is the best is because you didn't know what was going to happen next. This book constantly kept me in suspense. It also makes you feel like you are a part of the book. Like it was happening right before your eyes. I going to continue reading these books until I read them all!!!!!

Three kids, Score, a street-punk kid who lives on the streets on Manhatten,Renald, a girl who dresses up as a boy to train to be a warrior on her sexist world, and Pixel, a kid who hasn't been out of his room in four years and lives in virtual reality. Each kid is taken by the Beastials to the world of Treen in the outer circuit, where they learn that they have magic powers. They are taught by the mysterious wizard Aranak, and the book is filled with action. A mysterious person keeps showing up, uses fake names, and talks only in rhymes. Plus there is a lot of word puzzles and things, so if you like that you should definately read this book.

These whimsical, fantastic tales explore the Borgesian themes of mirrors, cults, plots, and history. Borges is a modern master, with one foot planted firmly in the traditions of Miguel de los Cervantes's age, the other foot planted in solidarity with (post)modern writers such as Umberto Eco or even Thomas Pynchon. It's a shame that Borges never achieved the fame of the latter two, at least not in the United States.

Perhaps this comparison is off-base, but this collection makes me think of JS Bach's "inventions": brilliantly written, innovative little morsels that you must take sensitively and savor long after you are done with them.

The only criticism I sometimes hear about these short stories is that there are no genuinely human, fleshed out characters (besides perhaps the narrator), and the plots tend to be about abstract ideas and individual conflictedness, rather than the more conventional plots about human interactions. What can I say? That's just how Borges is. I think he's a great (and underrated/underappreciated!) storyteller and literary craftsman, but maybe if you like a lot of character realism and musings about interpersonal relationships in your stories, Borges isn't for you.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable collection, especially if you like "magical realism" and short stories that read like clever inventions.

This collection of Jorge Luis Borges' "fictions" brings together incomparable masterpieces of contemporary world literature. No other writer I know of has been able to muster up the sheer creative energy and intellectual power necessary to mold into shape such magnificent ideas and stories. Borges mixes the realms of mystery, mythology, adventure, metaphysics, human misery and compassion, and literary criticism into an awesome whole. His manner of prose-writing is almost equally as impressive: journalistic, balanced, eloquent, evocative. Borges' "Fictions" has had a profound influence on my way of looking at literature and the world. He has evoked an abiding interest in the mythological and historical roots of contemporary writing and, by extension, a deeper understanding and appreciation of the mysteries and meaning in the visual and musical arts, as well. I highly recommend this book (or Andrew Hurley's more complete collection) for an outstanding read.

If you are lucky enough to read Spanish well, you might you want to try Borges in Spanish. That's not to say that this is a poor translation but rather there are so many minute details in Borges' prose that they are sometimes lost in the translation. Regardless, this collection of stories represents one of the greatest literary accomplishments in 20th century latin-american fiction and beyond. Borges is a writer of the mind, and that's where most of his stories live. You'll find yourself asking questions about what is real and what is not; what is a dream, what is a nightmare. Borges prose is flawless and his imagination is like no other's. Influenced by philosophy, history, and art, Borges captures a piece of humanity into a collection of stories and he only leaves you wanting more and more.

If (and the big word is IF) you are serious about changing poor eating habits and choices as well as looking at the bigger picture, and actually giving a damn about where your food choices come from, and who grows and often more important whether modern day slaves are used to harvest and/or process your food, then this book is one you need to read and in my opinion, need to own and use as a reference book.

The Great American Diet Roller-Coaster chapter is one that is timely, since recent 2001 research (reputable studies) show that America has reached an all time high obesity rate of over 60%. Healthy Heart, Healthy Life is a chapter that addresses personal responsibility and deals with the high cost of eating poorly, and especially a animal based diet.And the book overall is about how we in the developed world rape the third world and how our arrogance is going to kill us. Better yet, how our ignorance IS killing us.

Misery On The Menu, and A Healthy Plant-Based Dietchapters reminded me (and I do need reminding at times) that the meat, chicken, dairy products I see in the grocery store, are NOT always (or usually) raised in humane manner or as logic suggests, slaughtered in a humane manner. Hmmm "slaughtered in a humane manner" is a bit of an oxymoron isn't it? Something I learned our son is that the meat cases in the meat department of your local grocery store are called Meat Coffins. If that doesn't tell you what you are eating when you buy meat then nothing will.

I also am happy to see John Robbins addressing the whole new world and big business of genetically altered foods, that over years and decades could easily end up providing less food and food that isn't any better than the fast food garbage that one finds in their own communities we drives down main street. Where a fast food hamburger joint oozes the smell of animal fat into the air, and when obese people buy their drug of choice.

I read Robbins' Diet For A New America some years ago. Over the years since then, I've wondered what he would have to say about current issues such as genetic engineering, mad cow disease, and the many dietary approaches that have become popular in recent years (Sears, Atkins, D'Adamo, etc.). Well, The Food Revolution certainly answers such questions, and much much more. It really put a lot of things together for me, and without being for a second preachy or fanatical, both informed and inspired me. In my opinion, this is a truly life-giving book. I felt so whole in my heart and soul after I finished it. I believe that this book will be immensely helpful to anyone wanting to live a healthier life. There are a lot of things that make this book special. I can't get over how beautifully Robbins writes, and what a fine human being he is. There is so much human depth and understanding, as well as important information, on every page. His many stories about his life and learnings are marvelous. Reading The Food Revolution is a way of being in the presence of a wonderfully compassionate and loving person. Some people who know a lot transmit their knowledge, and somehow I feel burdened or cluttered by it. Robbins has a way of putting things in context so that he imparts important information in a way that makes you feel uplifted and strengthened. To say The Food Revolution is motivating would be a total understatement. It is incredibly compelling. Once I started reading it, I was completely enthralled. I've read many many books over the years (I'm in my sixties, and I read a lot), and I have enjoyed and benefitted from many of them. But I am delighted to say that The Food Revolution is the best book I've ever read in my entire life. I wish I could tell you how much value I have gotten from the experience that I had reading this book. I wish I had words to express it. Robbins is a national treasure, with extraordinary integrity, who walked away from the Baskin Robbins fortune. With The Food Revolution, he has given us a truly fabulous gift. If you want to do something good for your body, heart and soul, read The Food Revolution. And then share it with as many people as you can.

It's true!
I recently read that 75% of Americans consider themselve to be an ENVIRONMENTALIST....well, this book tells you why you CANNOT be an environmentalist AND eat meat!

Chapters include health information on Preventing Cancer, A Healthy Plant-Based Diet and the environmental/animal rights aspects of a vegan/vegetarian diet, The Pig Farmer, Misery on the Menu...You will learn why a meat based diet is so hard on the planet, hard on the animals and hard on YOU!
Each chapter has WHAT WE KNOW sections which highlight the facts about disease prevention and the plant based diet, the amounts of water, land used to provide a plant based diet vs. that of a meat based diet.
Also look for the IS THAT SO? sections which list quotes from the meat and dairy industry and the arguments that show these quotes to be FALSE based on medical research!
John Robbins is a wonderfully moving and inspiring writer...and to think he came from the Baskin-Robbins ice cream family!!
GO VEGAN!!

I was an avid reader as a child, and the GREAT BRAIN books were some of my favorites. I am now a mother of an avid reader, and tried to locate the books in several book stores. (For some reason, the library did not occur to me--shame on me!) I am so glad to have found them on Amazon.com that I am buying the whole set. This will be a great way to spend time with my son this summer! To parents--you will enjoy reading these with your children (sons or daughters)To children--you will enjoy reading these yourself (or listening, if you don't read yet). Very humorous series! Have a great time reading!

I've only read the "Great Brain" out of all his series but it was great!It kept my interest all the time. It's about a kid, named Tom (out of three kids) who has a great brain, meaning he's smart. His great brain has never failed! But will it fail? You'll have to read it to find out. I reccomend this book for readers ages 9-13 and for readers who like stories with action and who like books that come across problems and solutions. Hope this is helpful to you and I hope you enjoy the book!

It was a sad day when I rediscovered the joy of browsing bookstores and discovered my childhood escapes were gone. The Black Stallion,Henry Huggins, and my most favorite The Great Brain series were no longer amoung the living. Replaced by trash like Henry Potter and Goosebumps. Parents, please do your children a favor and purchase the entire Great Brain collection. They will not read more poignant,funny life instruction than these classics from J.D. Fitzgerald. The story is told from J.D.'s point of view as he shares the adventures of he and his older brother Tom in turn of the century Morman dominated Utah. Tom is the title character who becomes the focal point of an entire town called Adenville due to his uncanny shrewdness and ablity to "swindle" his playmates and even adults out of their money. No where else will a child get a better education on how to go along and get along with those of different religions,ethnicity, and physical limitations. I have read the books at least 20 times a piece and always found something new. It is both a mystery and distressful that none of our publishers have the sense to reprint these classics. Do your child and yourself a favor and find these books!

"Rites of Passage" provides an insider's advice on how to navigate through the often uncertain waters of job-changing at the executive level. It should be distinctly understood that the book is intended for higher-level executives -- much of the advice in the book is unsuitable for lower and mid management career changes. I especially liked the well-developed idea that an executive should avoid being presented to a company with a price tag on her head (the recruiter's fee), and should attempt to make herself known directly, without "representation". This is a novel idea that makes sense after you read the book, and this one idea alone is worth the read.

Lucht details an effective plan to go directly to company decision makers for the top jobs. The plan is not presented as a faddish, magic wand technique, but as a no-nonsense "elbow grease" way to get noticed.

There are some problems with the book. First, job changing at all levels is in flux these days, largely because of -- you guessed it -- the Internet. You get the idea that Mr. Lucht was caught off guard by this new big thing. He devotes only a couple of pages, stuck disjointedly in the middle of the book, to online recruitment and job-posting, and nothing at all to how technology will affect the industry.

I would have preferred a more thorough going-over of the world of contingency recruiters, but since they find jobs for lower level managers, Mr. Lucht gives the contingency recruiters a light touch.

The book is odd typographically. For some reason, text in parenthesis is in a font that appears to be several sizes smaller than the regular text, giving the reader the impression that the typesetter just discovered font menus in Microsoft Word. The text often switches between bold and regular and italic, sometimes on the same page. My eyeballs at times were crying "enough already!"

Overall, however, I would recommend the book because it contains some powerful ideas, along with an understanding of the motivations and limitations of executive recruiters. "Rites of Passage" leaves you with the impression that you just got good advice on executive job hunting from a distinguished uncle, without having to feed him dinner.

The book covers the essentials of job change at the upper end of the job market. It deals with all aspects of job change, however, the unique contribution is that it provides essential reading for anybody who changes jobs through 'recruiters'. - independent of what the salary is. The value of the book lies precisely in the detailed and authoritative explanation of what is going on behind the scene, i.e. in the recruiter's mind. The author - being a recruiter himself walks the reader in detail through the potential pitfalls of dealing with a recruiter. The different ways of working with a 'retained' versus a 'contingency' recruiter are in essential knowledge for you if you ever receive a phone call.
The writing is easy going but competent, suggestions on what to do are given ranging from your first thoughts on job change to negotiating the contract.
A particular highlight for me was the Appendix: ' Behind the Scenes with the Retainer Executive Recruiter' which walks you through a fictitious recruiting process from the recruiter's standpoint.
Shortfall of book: The book could have benefitted from a more marked breakdown in major parts, rather than going directly into 20 chapters. I highly recommend the book based on its insights.

I encountered John's first Rites of Passage book back in the early 90's when I was ambitiously trying to find a job at double my then salary of $50k. Using John's advice and learning from his insights, I was not only able to achieve my goal in a very short time, but I have been able to continue on my journey, using his philosophy to my advantage over and over again.

John taught me how to focus on achievements and results when talking about my past instead of times and places. He confirmed for me the importance of living up to your promises. He modeled for me the ability to write succinctly. And he impressed me when he thoroughly reviewed the new resources available to executives and made sure that people could get the most benefit out of technology on their journey.

No career changing executive should be without this book. No executive should be without this book - because at some time or other, voluntarily or not, everyone has to change jobs. And this book is not a short term bullet solution - it's a philosophy of how to move oneself up the ladder constantly while sticking to your principles.

I am the mother of a first year medical student. My daughter was at a loss in her first month at school - struggling with her Gross Anatomy Course. Our family doctor (he is actually a Neuro-Surgeon) suggested that I purchase Netter's "Atlas of Human Anatomy" swearing that he could never have gone through Anatomy it. I live in Malaysia and my daughter is studying in the Philippines. In both countries, we could not find this book! I found it right here at Amazon! The book was shipped by DHL and it has since been my daughter's bedside companion. She is still struggling with her Anatomy Course...but definitely this book of Netter has helped her SO MUCH. I have read through it myself and realized how difficult it is really to be a doctor. Atlas of Human Anatomy is a genius's work of art. Netter clearly defines the anatomical parts of the human body. Other reference/text books that are of great help to Anatomy students are: Grant's Atlas of Human Anatomy (which also has a Dissector) and Rohen & Yokochi's "Color Atlas of Anatomy" which is a photographic atlas of cadavers - a very good guide for practicals. Both books (Grant's and Rohen's) are found right here at AMAZON

I have used the second edition of this beautiful atlas for several years. Now I have acquired a copy of the new, revised, and improved third edition published in 2003. It has not disappointed me. I highly recommend it.

The third edition is longer by at least 60 pages, and the pages devoted to each body region are now color-coded for quick access.

Each section devoted to a body region now begins with a surface anatomy plate. In addition, a significant number of normal radiographic images are included.

In the foreword, Consulting Editor John T. Hansen states the following:

"We balanced the addition of new surface and radiographic plates largely by eliminating several plates that contributed little to the quality of the [Second Edition]. Several plates from The Netter (formerly CIBA) Collection of Medical Illustrations were added and several plates were altered slightly to correct anatomical errors consistent with our current knowledge.... Finally, the References and the Index have been updated.

"The anatomical terminology is consistent throughout the Atlas and conforms to the International Anatomical Terminology (Terminologia Anatomica) approved in 1998 by the International Federation of Associations of Anatomists. Common eponyms are retained parenthetically, and the leader lines and labels have been checked, and where necessary, corrected to ensure their accuracy."

You will hear Netter is God and although that statement is blasphemous in my book, it is fairly close to the truth. I have netter (the second edition) as most every med student on the planet has, really.

I plan to get the third edition for my reference library because my 2nd edition got gooked and dripped on in the lab as I'm sure yours will.

Netter is excellent in book form. However, whatever you do don't get the cd. It is poor in terms of clarity...

Nobody comes close to Francis!!!
Just beautiful art, you'll appreciate him once you start dissecting.

Anyone who sets out to buy an old Volkswagen will hear this book mentioned again and again, usually with great reverence and a tremendous amount of enthusiasm. Well folks, it is simply not all that. Don't get me wrong -- I'm happy I bought this book, and I refer to it often -- but like other reviewers here have pointed out, it's awfully overrated within VW circles. The instructions are biased towards pre-68 cars and often gloss over details; it's very hard to track down specific solutions when all you know are the symptoms; and the diagrams, though extremely well-drawn, aren't always as effective as real photographs of the car and its parts. When I'm trying to learn how to repair something on my Beetle, I read this book first to get a friendly introduction to the work involved... but the other manuals are the ones I actually take outside to the car.

So if you've just bought a "new" Beetle or Bus that needs a lot of repair, buy this book -- but get the Bentley shop manual for your model and year at the same time as you will need to refer to it a lot. I recommend the Haynes manuals, too; they give the same procedures but in a highly effective "steps + pictures" format.

This book is near the top of my all-time best books list. My brother gave me a copy of this book when my first Beetle engine threw a rod. It enabled me (a 17-year-old overhaul virgin) to completely overhaul the engine by myself. 17 years later, it's very dog-eared, but has helped me through several overhauls, and has given me the confidence to tackle a Bug restoration. If you can only afford one VW book, this is it. Doesn't cover body work much, but the mechanical system description and illustrations will appeal to anyone funky enough to own an air-cooled VW. I'm pleased to see that it is still in print. John Muir is gone now, but he lives large in my estimation!

Commonly referred to as the "Idiot Manual" or the "Muir Book" among VW fanatics. It covers all air cooled VW models. It is a book that I love and cherish! It is different than any other auto manual you've ever see. It is aimed at the complete idiot! It has NO pictures and only hand drawings and illustrations. This makes all illustrations very clear because it leaves out all the extraneous stuff that photos include. It has lots of text but this is a good thing. John Muir is an old hippie that loved his VW's. He instills this love in all his readers as well. This book's strong point is teaching this love of your car as well as teaching you the ongoing maintenance. I feel the tune-up and maintenance portion of this book is better than the other books. The other big plus of this book is that it's just plain fun to read. I've read it cover to cover a few times. It's that entertaining! The only weak part of this book is for serious (professional) mechanic's who want a technical manual for ALL parts of the bus. for example, here is an actual quote from the book. "The trans (transaxle) overhaul is not in this book. Not only can't you do it but we won't either." I don't mind that one bit! I couldn't do it so I appreciate them telling me. It covers the basic maintenance and repair (99% of anything you will need done on your car/bus) in a clearer, step by step, way than any other book. If I had to have only one repair book, this would be it, without question.

I love the New King James Version, put out by Thomas Nelson, but I loath Thomas Nelson Bibles. This is how I happened upon the Thompson a few years ago as I was relieved to find a NKJV not made by T.N. I first bought an NKJV in bonded leather. After 2 years of very heavy use, I bought an NKJV in genuine leather, and later a handy size KJV in genuine. All three of these Bibles are wonderful in every way.

The Thompson Study system is very helpful and they've graciously spared us from a myriad of religious cliche and personal opinion. The page layout is smart. The Bible text actually fills the page and all study helps and references are relegated to the side margins. There are so many ways to use the studies and references, I am unable to number them here. The concordance is as extensive as any I've seen. The 14 maps are colorful and very well done. Simply put, it's a complete, Jesus-exalting study Bible designed with excellence.

The construction of these Bibles is equally impressive. The paper is just right--not too thick, not too thin. The print is dark and sharp. Their font is subtil and very appropriate for the Bible, if you ask me. The red words of Jesus are RED. They're not muddy brown; they're not pink; they're bright, deep, beautiful red. They are printed consistantly page to page, not some pages lighter or misprinted, as the Thomas Nelson folks are plagued by.

Now that I own three Thompsons, I feel about them the way a good ol' boy down in the South feels about shotguns. "I have more than I need, but not as many as I want!"

I use the Thompson NASB and it is great. I will just echo other sentiments that the layout of this Bible is great. This Bibles greatest strength is that it uses Scripture to teach Scripture. There are no notes on the page. If one wants to dig into a specific passage or specific book the references will take the student into the Bible as deep and as far as they want to go. This is my main Bible, along with the Dickson New Analytical KJV, to read and study God's words. There are too many specialty and study Bibles on the market. All the major publishers bring them out each year like boxed cereal. I too own and use some specialty study Bibles for specific purposes. These are great if you want to study from a specific point of view, like Dispensational or Charismatic, or understand what an interesting teacher of the Word may have to say like Tim LaHaye, John MacArthur, RC Sproul, or Henry Blackaby. But on a daily basis the Thompson Chain Reference is the one that can bring the best out of the student of the Word.

In either the King James or New American Standard version, the Thompson Chain-Reference Bible is an excellent study tool composed of a wide variety of references and cross-references constructed in such a manner as to facilitate and enhance the experience of those who seek a deeper and richer understanding of God's Word. As Christians, it is our duty to ever search the Scriptures in order that we may know and fully understand His truths.

It is reported that Dr. Thompson and his wife spent 40 years developing this exceptional work. I can but state that their efforts have born fruit in the realization of a virtual Biblical library housed in a single volume.

"Linked together by the unique Thompson numerical reference system are 7,000 names,places, and topics in more than 100,000 references-each carefully analyzed and classified by subject, topic, or theme."